Williamstown

Williamstown (including Altona)Historic bayside tourist resort which was Melbourne's first
port
Williamstown developed at the same time as Melbourne and served as
its first port. Located at the mouth of the Yarra River, it is now
effectively a metropolitan suburb located 13 km south-west of the
city centre at the tip of a peninsula which projects out into Port
Phillip Bay. On its northern side is Hobsons Bay and on its
southern side is Altona Bay.

In recent years Williamstown has received a face lift and become
a major tourism drawcard. It retains the coherence and charm of a
maritime village, due, in no small part, to the many historic
buildings. A proliferation of cafes and restaurants are a major
feature of Nelson Place which runs adjacent the foreshore while
boats, yachts and dinghies decorate the shoreline and ships sail
through the estuary en route to the Port of Melbourne.

There are some up-market galleries and a range of accommodation
- mostly self-contained or bed-and-breakfast. There are no motels
but there is some corporate accommodation on the waterfront which
looks across to the city's skyline, West Gate Bridge (connecting
Williamstown to the city by road), and the docks and container
terminals of Port Melbourne. A link with the past is retained in
the form of the old naval dockyard, now owned by Tenix, which,
together with the Port Phillip Woollen Mill, reflects the
industrial dimension of Williamstown.

The mouth of the Yarra River was inspected in May and June of
1835 by the party of John Batman who recognised the potential of
the Melbourne townsite for settlement. They named the site of
Williamstown Port Harwood after the captain of one of their ships.
In August John Pascoe Fawkner's 55-ton schooner, the Enterprise,
carried the first settlers into Port Phillip Bay and up the Yarra
to commence the settlement of Melbourne. Fawkner himself, a
fractious ex-convict and son of a convict who was also a pioneering
newspaper proprietor and hotelier, landed at Hobsons Bay in August
of that year.

When Governor Bourke and Captain William Lonsdale visited the
emergent settlement at Port Phillip Bay in 1837, they both felt the
main site of settlement would emerge at the estuary and they
renamed it Williamstown after King William IV, then the English
monarch. It served as Melbourne's first anchorage and as the centre
for port facilities to the Port Phillip district until the late
19th century.

The first land sales took place in 1837. A 30-metre stone jetty
was built by convict labour in 1838 where Gem Pier now stands. That
same year a ferry service between Melbourne and Williamstown was
established aboard the steamer 'Fire Fly'. It was used to convey
passengers, as well as sheep and cattle from Tasmania. The first
cemetery in Victoria was established at Point Gellibrand at this
time.

A store was set up in 1839 with a water police superintendent
appointed in 1840. St Mary's Catholic School was established in
1842 and it is now the oldest continuously operating school in the
state. In 1847 Steamboat Pier was built and a permanent customs
house was set up. The water police and customs officers remained
here until the Melbourne Harbour Trust developed river channels
closer to the Melbourne CBD in the 1890s.

Although it was the major port for Melbourne, Williamstown, in
1850, was an unattractive centre. There were a few grog shops and
boarding houses on the shore with debris and rubbish from the ships
and the town lining the shore. The streets remained unsealed and
there were few amenities or houses.

With the Victorian goldrushes of the 1850s Williamstown's port
functions meant that it experienced a tremendous increase in
through-traffic as immigrants and interstate travellers disembarked
en route to the fields. Many ships were left floating in Hobsons
Bay when crews deserted for the fields. Some became floating
boarding houses.

A stockade was built in 1853 and, in 1854, a gun battery and
observatory were erected and the first telegraph in Australia was
established between Melbourne and Williamstown. By that time a
number of penal hulks had also been set up aboard five vessels in
Hobsons Bay, owing to the sudden increase in criminal prosecution
generated by the goldrushes. Two prisoners who served time on the
hulk 'Success' were the bushrangers Captain Melville and Dan 'Mad
Dog' Morgan. Conditions were appalling and the discipline harsh.
Convict labour from the hulks was used to build the breakwater. The
hulk 'Deborah' was used as a reformatory school for children from
1864.

The first gunship to be presented to the Australian colony by
the British government was the 580-ton 'Victoria' which sported
seven 32-pound guns. It docked at Williamstown in 1856 and was
utilised by the Royal Australian Navy which was founded at
Williamstown. The ship was later loaned to New Zealand for use in
the Maori wars. It was also sent to the Gulf of Carpentaria to
bring back the survivors of the ill-fated Burke and Wills
expedition.

In 1856 Williamstown was declared a separate municipality. By
that time it had been transformed into a substantial settlement.
The streets had been sealed, kerbed and widened. There were
excellent hotels, shops, residences, banks and churches of stone
and timber. Many of the town's historic buildings date from this
time.

A railway line from Geelong to Newport was operating by 1856
(with passengers carried over the river by ferry). This private
line was bought up by the government in 1858 (it was the first
government-owned railway line) and extended across the river to
Melbourne. Work began on a state shipyard (now privately owned) in
1865. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The 'Shenandoah', a raider belonging to the Confederate army in
the US Civil War, requested permission to dock at Williamstown in
1865 after developing propeller problems during a commercial
voyage. Permission was granted over the objections of the US
consul. It left after 22 days before the consul could realise plans
to seize the ship. After capturing or sinking 38 Union ships it
surrendered at Liverpool in England. In 1871, at the International
Court in Geneva, the US government was awarded £820 000 pounds
from Britain because the ship had been granted the facilities of
Williamstown.

The HMVS Nelson was given to the colony of Victoria by the
British government in 1867. It dropped anchor off Point Gellibrand
the following year. Launched in 1814, it was originally 74.5 metres
long, weighed 2617 tons, required a crew of 875 and sported 126
guns (later reduced to 72). It became a reformatory for errant boys
for 4 years and was increasingly disfigured until broken up in
1908. The anchors now adorn the foreshore, a catting block is in
the historical museum and its weaponry distributed to numerous
country towns.

A new customs house was built in 1873, the year a steam ferry at
Newport was established by the local council. The largest graving
dock in the Southern Hemisphere was built in 1874. The borough of
Williamstown was declared a town in 1886 and a city in 1919.

A ferry across the lower Yarra River facilitated more direct
access to Melbourne in 1931 and a crude oil terminal was built in
the 1950s. In 1970, during the construction of the West Gate
Bridge, an accident resulted in the deaths of 35 men. The bridge
was completed in 1978. A power station was built, amidst
controversy over its environmental impact, near the western end of
the bridge in the late 1970s.

Things to see:

Tourist Information and Tours
The Williamstown Tourist Information Centre is located on
Commonwealth Reserve at the corner of Nelson Place and Syme St. It
is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 9397 3791. You
can obtain brochures here outlining self-guided walks which take in
the town's historical buildings, features and sites.

Guided walking and coach tours of Williamstown are also
conducted for a fee by Williamstown Tours (tel: 03 9391 2970) and
Hobsons Bay Historic Tours, tel: (03) 9397 6023. Both also offer
specially designed educational tours for school groups.

Commonwealth Reserve is the site of a craft market on the third
Sunday of each month.

Tide Water Gauge House
Also on the Commonwealth Reserve is Tide Water Gauge House, a
finely detailed building which was built between 1858 and 1860 at
the foot of Breakwater Pier. It featured a rare example of an
automatic device for gauging the tides.

Gem Pier and the Ferries
At the end of Syme St is Gem Pier which was named after a
paddlesteamer that once operated between Williamstown and Port
Melbourne. A 30-metre stone jetty was built here by convict labour
in 1838 although the original has been replaced.

Ferries now operate daily between Gem Pier and Southgate and, on
weekends, between Gem Pier and St Kilda.

Williamstown Maritime Museum
Permanently stationed at Gem Pier is the HMAS Castlemaine (1942) -
a World War II minesweeper which was built at the local shipyards.
It is now used as a maritime museum. Aside from the ship itself
there is a collection of nautical memorabilia and exhibits within
its confines. It is open from midday to 5.00 p.m. on weekends and
public holidays or by appointment for groups, tel: (03) 9397 2363
on weekends or (03) 9853 0823 before 10.00 a.m. on weekdays.

The Enterprize
Chartered trips are available on weekends, on board the
'Enterprize' - a timber replica of the 55-ton sailing schooner
which carried the first European settlers up the Yarra to
Melbourne. It picks up passengers from Gem Pier although the ship
is docked at the end of Anne St. Visitors who merely wish to see
the ship must go to the end of Anne St where the exterior can be
observed. Tours of the interior are available for groups who
undertake bookings. For either inspections or charters ring (03)
9397 3477.

Historic Morgue
Anne St runs between the water and Nelson Place. Therein lies what
is thought to be the state's earliest morgue - a single-storey
bluestone structure with an arched entrance erected in 1859.

Initially, coroners' examinations were conducted in hotel
basements where the bodies were suspended from the ceiling by ropes
to forestall the attentions of rats. As many bodies were in a state
of decomposition they caused olfactory offence and so the morgue
was built. It was moved from its initial site close to Gem Pier to
the current address in 1873 as its presence at that well-attended
spot continued to cause consternation.

Other buildings of historic interest are the former 'Advertiser'
newspaper building at 205 Nelson Place and the former Port Health
Officer's residence at no.231. Holy Trinity Church of England is a
Gothic bluestone structure built between 1871 and 1874.

The Former Prince Of Wales Hotel
At the end of Nelson Place (no.1), opposite the dockyard, is the
Titanic Theatre Restaurant, situated within the former Prince of
Wales Hotel (1850s) - a building with a Georgian design featuring a
cast-iron verandah. The 1 in 10 scale model of the Titanic atop the
building caused some controversy but the rest of the facade and the
interior have been quite nicely restored, including the cellars
which still feature shackles in the wall to which sailors were
bound before being shanghaied.

Time Ball Tower
The Time Ball Tower is also located at the bottom of Nelson Place,
opposite the beach, on the foreshore at Point Gellibrand. The lower
section of the building was constructed by convict labour out of
bluestone either in 1846 or 1852, depending on which source is
credited. It replaced a wooden tower erected in 1842. The purpose
of the time ball was to tell ships what the time was. At exactly
1.00pm each day the Time Ball was manually lowered to allow ships
to set their chronometers accurately. A cylindrical brick upper
extension was added in the 1930s. The Time Ball was restored in the
1990s and it now operates according to a computerised system.

Fort Gellibrand
The gun emplacements, earthworks, parapets, drains, magazines and
infantry revetments of Fort Gellibrand have also been restored to
original condition in the 1990s. The fort developed between 1860
and 1890. It is only open to the general public occasionally as it
is still used by a commando unit. However, it is expected that it
will open on a more regular basis in the future.

The first cemetery in what is now Victoria was established in
this area in the late 1830s. When the fort was built the bodies
were removed to a vault.

Science Works and Planetarium
The Science Works is a hands-on highly interactive science museum
for all ages which features different programs throughout the year.
The emphasis is on fun. It is located in Booker St and is open from
10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. daily, tel: (03) 9392 4800. A new digital
planetarium is located on the grounds and is part of the complex.
It is open in the evenings.

Historical Museum
The Historical Museum is located in the former mechanics' institute
(c.1860) at 5 Electra St by the intersection where it meets both
Parker St and Melbourne Rd. It is open from 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Sundays and by appointment during the week. They have a large
collection of maritime material, photographs, records and other
items pertaining to the settlement's venerable and quite crucial
history. There are several walking tours of the town's historic
features outlined in brochures at the museum and plenty of
published material, including a free potted history of
Williamstown. There is also an historical kit for school groups,
tel: (03) 9397 5423 or (03) 9397 5933.

Botanic Gardens
Williamstown Botanic Gardens are located at the corner of Osborne
and Giffard Sts.

Some Other Historic Buildings
The Steam Packet Hotel at the corner of Cole St and Aitken St is a
two-storey Classical Revival structure built in 1863 to replace a
mid-1850s original.

Stevedore Uniting Church (in Stevedore St) was built of
bluestone c.1870 as a Gothic Revival for the Congregationalists. An
asymmetrical design it features a fine tower capped by an octagonal
lantern and spire. The entrance, west windows and detailing are all
of distinction.

The former Presbyterian manse at 27 Lyons St is a two-storey
bluestone building erected in 1856-57 and sold by the church in
1886. It is asymmetrical with projecting wings, bay windows,
multi-pane windows and a hipped slate roof.

At 64 Pascoe St (corner of Lyons St) is the former 'Ashton
Villa' - a single-storey bluestone house built in 1859 for Customs
and Immigration official George Ashton.

'Mandalay' is a substantial two-storey residence at 24 The
Strand which was built of stuccoed bluestone in 1858 for Captain
William Probert. A symmetrical design it features a single-storey
verandah with a gabled porch at the centre of the facade. It is
considered typical of the houses which fronted Hobsons Bay in the
19th century. The two-storey weatherboard house at 63 The Strand
was built c.1859. It features a timber verandah and single-storey
gabled wing at one end.

The two-storey stone house at 1 Yarra St was built in the early
1850s for merchant William Langhorne. It was stuccoed in 1861. An
original two-storey verandah has been removed and the upper doors
converted to windows. The timber wing was added in the 20th
century.

At 3 Cox's Gardens is a single-storey mid-1850s cottage built
partially of prefabricated timber for Samuel George Cox. It is a
rare surviving example of an 1850s worker's cottage.

The Australian Railways Historical Society's Railway
Museum
The Railway Museum is located 200 metres from the North
Williamstown railway station in Champion Rd. There are some 20
railway engines with many carriages and wagons. It is open from
midday to 5.00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays and from midday
to 4.00 p.m. on Wednesdays during school holidays. For enquiries
ring (03) 9397 7412 or (03) 9772 1287 after hours. Mid-week school
and group visits are by arrangement: tel: (03) 9596 3249.

Wetland Areas
The Jawbone Wetland area is about 8 minutes from Williamstown off
Kororoit Creek Rd which departs westwards from Williamstown as
Ferguson St. It features a boardwalk, birdhides and a lake
system.

Another wetland area is located under the West Gate Bridge to
the north of North Williamstown, en route to the Melbourne CBD.
Boardwalks lead to areas where you can view the ships of Port
Melbourne. A mangrove swamp is adjacent.

Altona Miniature Railway
Families with children may be interested in taking a ride on some
miniature steam trains on the third Sunday of the month from midday
to 4.00 p.m. in Blenheim St, Altona North (just to the west of
Williamstown). There are picnic and barbecue facilities and a
kiosk, tel: (03) 9741 6580.